Engaging filmmaking is about time and motion. Daniel Ojari plays with and ponders both in his amazing new shortfilm “Slow Derek”, shot at the Royal College of Art in London. It is currently touring the festivals and racking up awards. Go to Daniel’s site to find out when the tantalizing full version is showing near you.
Daniel had this to say about working with Dragonframe:

I found dragon really helpful for the whole film, having filmed my previous short on a free stopmotion software- the difference between them was massive. It’s the Dragon interface and all the features in the cinematography display that really helped me make the film, as they make lighting and focus checking a scene really easy. Also, the Dragon keypad controller is great when you’re animating on a large or complex set.

Here is a superb interview he gave to Ditogear.com after winning the Grand Prize at the Animayo Festival:

What inspired you to come up with the concept for the narrative?

My main inspiration was, I suppose, reading into science and physics, I became really interested in these subjects before making the film. In particular I liked the facts about our solar system and planet earth. I find it just amazing that the earth and everything on it is rotating at such an incredible speed. This was the starting point for me.

Could you share with us something on the protagonist of the film?

I wanted to contrast the theme of the earth’s colossal speed, with a character (Derek) who lives a very slow and static existence. Derek is in a sense a caricature of many people, my self included, whose lives don’t actually require much movement. Whether it’s sitting down at a desk, sitting down on a train or lying down in bed, many of us spend a lot of time being relatively still. I also like to think that this contrast between Derek and the earth, suggests someone who feels too slow for the ever-quickening pace of the world.

How was the process from writing the story to filming the animation film?

I found it to be a really enjoyable process- from writing the narrative through to designing and filming the animation. I made the film at Royal College of Art and it’s a really great place to cultivate and realize an idea.

What was the most challenging part in the making of the film?

Although I very much enjoyed the experience of making ‘Slow Derek’, it was actually a very stressful and challenging year. There were times when it just felt like too much to make, as the film consisted of over 40 different shots with almost everyone needing a complete new set build. It was really quite daunting. However, I had a lot of help from friends and in particular, my girlfriend, who happens to be a really great model maker! Without the amazing help of everyone involved, I wouldn’t have been able to make the film.

Please tell us about the music and sound design used in the film.

The sound design was created by Joseph Tate, he’s a really a fantastic sound designer and it was a real pleasure working with him. He worked on the sound along side me filming, which I found was a really great way to work.

What were the softwares/equipment were used to make the film?

It was pretty much all filmed in camera, with a little compositing and tidying up on After Effects. I shot on a Canon 1000d slr camera and used Dragonframe stop motion software. I had access to a lot of lighting equipment which really helped towards being creative with the lighting design. I edited on Final Cut Pro.

Apart from the awards, the film has been to numerous festivals and screenings are slated till next year.

What would you like to say about the warm appreciation the film has received?

It absolutely fantastic to get such a warm response! After spending such a long time on something, and most of the time spent filming down in a dark basement it’s a really amazing feeling that people want to watch it!

Kindly shed some light on your up-coming projects.

At present I’ve been directing a few promotional animations, along side working as a stop-motion animator for various other projects. I am also just starting on a short film, that I intend to post online bit by bit as I make it.

Anything that you would want to add as an after thought? Or convey to the upcoming independent animators?

Well, I would just say to anyone wanting to start out in animation, to just start making stuff; it’s such an expressive and ever expanding medium. Animation does take a while to make but actually you can make a short test pretty quickly.

I like to do little one day tests, where you start in the morning and have to finish in the evening. It’s surprising what you can make in a day and more importantly what you will learn.

In terms of making a film I guess the main thing is that you feel passionately about it. It’s important to think about the viewers experience as well, so getting honest feedback from people whilst making the film helps understand how it will be interpreted. But I think the main thing is to just follow your instincts and focus on making something that you would want to watch.

How do you plan to use the OmniSlider?

It’s such a fantastic piece of equipment to have in my studio, it’s really opened up loads of possibilities for future projects. I have been developing a short film that will consist of one long tracking shot, so winning this equipment was absolutely perfect! I am actually going to be working with director, Mikey Please on an animated short film very soon, so I think it will get it’s first use on that project. For more info about this film click here.

We will certainly be keeping our eye out for that. -Dragonframe
The great ones always make the hard work look so much fun.